This invention relates generally to data transfer and storage devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a hand-held, battery-powered, portable device for transferring data between, for example, a flash memory module used in conjunction with a digital camera or audio device and a mass storage device.
Over recent years, digital cameras have been rapidly growing in worldwide popularity. Such cameras provide many advantages over the conventional film camera. For example, digital cameras do not require the time and financial expenditures of conventional cameras in terms of film development. Digital cameras are designed to be used in conjunction with a wide range of sophisticated computer graphics processing packages not available for conventional film cameras. Display devices associated with certain digital cameras advantageously provide the photographer with an enhanced ability to frame desired images and to review pictures just taken.
Digital cameras, however, are not without their disadvantages. Conventional high resolution digital cameras are currently very costly and employ expensive memory media which are capable of only capturing a relatively limited number of pictures. Such cameras may utilize a flash memory module having a storage capacity of, for example, 2 to 32 megabytes. These memory modules become increasingly more expensive as the storage capacity increases.
A high resolution digital camera with a conventional flash memory module may only have a storage capacity to permit a photographer to take a very limited number of pictures such as, for example, a half dozen or even fewer pictures. The vacationing photographer may choose to undertake a major expense to be assured of having enough memory modules to record memorable events from a two week vacation.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, this digital camera shortcoming is overcome by a hand-held, battery-powered portable device for transferring data between a flash memory module and a mass storage device. The mass storage device may be able to store, for example, the contents of the equivalent of hundreds of flash memory modules.
In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the contents of a flash memory module inserted into an insertion memory port in the portable hand-held device is downloaded under operator control to a mass storage device in the form of a fixed or removable hard disk drive. Thereafter, the memory module is reinitialized so that it may be immediately reused in its associated camera.